Veteran In Persistent Vegetative State After Medical Mistake

Man Who Survived Medical Mistake Now In Persistent Vegetative State

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

Medical negligence does not always cause death, and sometimes patients remain permanently scarred or disabled. In 2014, a retired Navy Chief underwent a colonoscopy at Naval Hospital Jacksonville and never woke up again. According to his wife, who has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit, the hospital failed to review her husband’s medical history, which had listed the condition sleep apnea.

After being put under anesthesia, the former Navy engineman stopped breathing. Sleep apnea had interfered with the procedure. It took medical personnel at the hospital 22 minutes to revive the former sailor. By then he had suffered significant brain damage. The Navy veteran now resides in a nursing home in a vegetative state, unable to eat, talk or take care of himself. His wife has since quit her job to be by her husband’s side.

A vegetative state is where there is very little brain activity and a person may be unable to move or communicate with the outside world. Depending on the cause, the person may never be able to wake up again.

What Are The Consequences Of Medical Mistakes?

Imagine taking a loved one to the doctor, only to have an avoidable mistake cost them everything. Now you have to take care of them for the rest of your life due to one mistake.

In less severe cases, survivors of medical mistakes may be unable to return to work and may suffer from significant psychological damage. These stories can serve as a reminder that medical mistakes have extreme costs for survivors and their families.

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